Oil and air separator system and method
An oil and air separation can includes: a diffuser tube positioned within a diffuser shield at a can intake for blow-by gases; and a first diffuser screen spaced vertically apart from a second diffuser screen proximate a can exhaust for blow-by gases, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen are spaced horizontally from the diffuser tube and extend about the diffuser shield.
The invention relates generally to engine positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) systems and methods for recycling blow-by gases through a PCV valve into the engine's intake manifold, and more particularly in one exemplary embodiment, to systems and methods including an oil and air separator system for removal of crankcase oil from such blow-by gases.
BACKGROUNDIn a combustion engine, blow-by gases typically include unburned gasoline. That is, an amount of air and unburned gasoline from the engine cylinder is pulled past the piston rings and into the crankcase. Instead of exhausting such blow-by gases to the atmosphere, a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system recycles the blow-by gases through a PCV valve into the engine's intake manifold. Such recycling occurs when the engine is operating at relatively slow speeds (e.g. idling), i.e., when the air pressure in the crankcase is higher than the air pressure in the intake manifold.
One problem associated with PCV systems and their use involves oil vapors. An engine's crankcase is used to store oil. A pan located below the crankshaft holds oil, and generally oil vapors from the oil in the pan may find their way into the blow-by gases.
It is undesirable for oil to be recycled with blow-by gases into an engine's intake manifold. Such oil may degrade engine performance by lowering the overall octane of the combustion mixture in a cylinder. Such oil also may coat the air intake and prevent airflow.
To combat the presence of oil in blow-by gases, oil and air separators were developed to remove the oil from the blow-by gases before recirculation into the intake manifold. There are various different models or types of oil and air separators available, one of which is shown by way of example in
This “can approach” to oil and air separation, as shown by way of example in
The present disclosure provides oil and air separation systems and methods. In one exemplary embodiment, an oil and air separation can includes: (i) a diffuser tube positioned within a diffuser shield at a can intake for blow-by gases; and (ii) a first diffuser screen spaced vertically apart from a second diffuser screen proximate a can exhaust for blow-by gases, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen are spaced horizontally from the diffuser tube and extend about the diffuser shield.
Other benefits and advantages of the present disclosure will be appreciated from the following detailed description.
Embodiments of the invention and various alternatives are described. Those skilled in the art will recognize, given the teachings herein, that numerous alternatives and equivalents exist which do not depart from the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited by the description set forth herein or below.
One or more specific embodiments of the system and method will be described below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of the present disclosure. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
Further, for clarity and convenience only, and without limitation, the disclosure (including the drawings) sets forth exemplary representations of only certain aspects of events and/or circumstances related to this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize, given the teachings herein, additional such aspects, events and/or circumstances related to this disclosure, e.g., additional elements of the devices described; events occurring related to oil and air separation and can use; etc. Such aspects related to this disclosure do not depart from the invention, and it is therefore intended that the invention not be limited by the certain aspects set forth of the events and circumstances related to this disclosure.
Turning now to the drawings,
Oil collects on the screen 60 and drips to form an oil pool 70 in the bottom of the can 10. Oil also may migrate across the surface of the screen 60 and into the exhaust filter material 80, as shown in
The oil and air separation can embodiment shown in
The top portion 210 at its lower end is also removably coupled by threaded engagement to a diffuser tube 240. The diffuser tube 240 is positioned within a diffuser shield 250 that is removably coupled by threaded engagement to the top portion 210. The diffuser shield 250 generally separates the volume defined by the can 200 into a first intake side and a second exhaust side. The diffuser tube 240 is disposed within the first intake side.
The diffuser tube 240 may be a hollow tubular, cylindrically shaped unit and include a flange 260 about its lower end that proximately corresponds to the inside diameter of the diffuser shield 250. The sidewall 270 and bottom 280 (including without limitation the flange 260) of the diffuser tube 240 may include a plurality of ports through which intake gases may flow to travel from the can intake port 290 to the lower end 300 of diffuser shield 250. See
The diffuser shield 250 may be a hollow tubular, cylindrically shaped unit and include a flange 310 about its lower end 300. The diameter of the flange 310 is less than the inside diameter of the can portion 220. Thus, the diffuser shield 250 in part may define between the shield 250 and the can portion 220 a generally annular space that comprises the second exhaust side.
Spaced vertically about the diffuser shield 250 within the second exhaust side may be a pair of diffuser screens 320, 330. As shown in
The vertically spaced diffuser screens 320, 330 may be positioned beneath one or more exit ports 350 from which vapors may exit the can 200. As shown in
The operation of the can 200 involves blow-by gases and oily vapors entering the can 200 at intake port 290. From there, the flow is directed through the interior of diffuser tube 270 to the lower end 300 of diffuser shield 250. Oil collects on diffuser tube 240 and on diffuser shield 250 and flows to (e.g., due to gravity) and collects in a reservoir in part formed by the bottom portion 230 of can 200. The bottom portion 230 of can 200 may be adapted with a drain 360 fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a cap 370 removably threadingly engaged thereto. The flange 310 of diffuser shield 250 prevents oil from seeping upward along the outer wall of the diffuser shield 250. Blow-by gases then travel upwards through the second exhaust side, past the diffuser screens 320, 330, and out exit ports 350.
Spaces within the can 200 may in certain embodiments be filled in whole or in part with stainless steel mesh or other filter material to help promote the removal of oil from the blow-by gases traveling through can 200. In particular, removably placing stainless steel mesh in the annular space between the diffuser tube 240 and diffuser shield 250 may assist in removing oil from blow-by gases. Oil collects on the filter material and flows downward (e.g., due to gravity) to the reservoir formed in part by bottom portion 230.
In one embodiment, the can 200 is constructed to be wholly modular in form. That is, the can may be completely disassembled (e.g., for cleaning) and then reassembled for use due to the absence of rigid fixed attachments between the various can components. O-rings 380 may be used between the top portion 210 and middle portion 220 of can 200, and between the middle portion 220 and bottom portion 230 of can 200, as well as between the various other threadingly engaged components as necessary, to help provide a sealed engagement.
Exemplary embodiments are described for scrubbing oil from blow-by gases. The volume of the can 200 may be adjusted by using different sized components for middle portion 220, or by adding various extension sections (each resembling middle portion 220) between middle portion 220 and bottom portion 230. It is believed that by increasing the volume of can 200, less oil may enter the exhaust side.
In accordance with the description herein, a method of oil and air separation may include providing an oil and air separation can including a diffuser tube positioned within a diffuser shield at a can intake for blow-by gases; and a first diffuser screen spaced vertically apart from a second diffuser screen proximate a can exhaust for blow-by gases, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen are spaced horizontally from the diffuser tube and extend about the diffuser shield.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances.
Certain exemplary embodiments of the disclosure may be described. Of course, the embodiments may be modified in form and content, and are not exhaustive, i.e., additional aspects of the disclosure, as well as additional embodiments, will be understood and may be set forth in view of the description herein. Further, while the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An oil and air separation can for an engine positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system including: a diffuser tube positioned within a diffuser shield at a can intake for blow-by gases; and a first diffuser screen spaced vertically apart from a second diffuser screen proximate a can exhaust for blow-by gases, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen are spaced horizontally from the diffuser tube and extend about the diffuser shield.
2. The oil and air separation can of claim 1, wherein the diffuser tube includes a plurality of holes permitting fluid communication between the can intake and a lower interior portion of the diffuser shield.
3. The oil and air separation can of claim 2, wherein the diffuser tube includes a flange portion at a lower end of the diffuser tube.
4. The oil and air separation can of claim 3, wherein the flange portion extends from a diffuser tube sidewall to proximate an interior sidewall portion of the diffuser shield.
5. The oil and air separation can of claim 1, wherein one of the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen is perforated.
6. The oil and air separation can of claim 5, wherein the first diffuser screen is disposed below the second diffuser screen, and the second diffuser screen is perforated.
7. The oil and air separation can of claim 1, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen extend from an exterior sidewall of the diffuser shield to proximate an interior sidewall of the can.
8. The oil and air separation can of claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket removably attached to the can proximate a blow-by gas intake.
9. A screen assembly adapted to fit an oil and air separation can for an engine positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system including: (i) a diffuser tube disposed within a diffuser shield, and (ii) horizontally spaced from the diffuser tube, outside of the diffuser shield, a plurality of diffuser screens that are vertically spaced from one another.
10. The oil and air separation can of claim 9, wherein a first diffuser screen is spaced below a second diffuser screen.
11. The oil and air separation can of claim 10, wherein the second diffuser screen is perforated.
12. The oil and air separation can of claim 10, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen are each perforated.
13. A method of oil and air separation for an engine positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system comprising: providing a can and a diffuser tube positioned within a diffuser shield at a can intake for blow-by gases; and a first diffuser screen spaced vertically apart from a second diffuser screen proximate a can exhaust for blow-by gases, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen are spaced horizontally from the diffuser tube and extend about the diffuser shield.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first diffuser screen and the second diffuser screen are each held in place relative to one another by o-rings.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the diffuser tube partially defines an annular space between the diffuser tube and a portion of the diffuser shield.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a filter material disposed within the annular space.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the filter material comprises stainless steel mesh.
18. The method of claim 13 including a flange disposed at a lower end of the diffuser shield.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the flange has an outer diameter that is less than the inside diameter of the can.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 22, 2015
Date of Patent: Feb 16, 2016
Inventor: Joseph Mainiero (Lake Worth, FL)
Primary Examiner: Duane Smith
Assistant Examiner: Minh-Chau Pham
Application Number: 14/806,035
International Classification: F01M 13/04 (20060101); B01D 45/08 (20060101); B01D 45/06 (20060101);